Binding Love
by hollyhobbit101
Summary: Calypso waits for her true hero, Leo Valdez, to return just as he promised. Meanwhile, Leo thinks of the girl he left alone every day. But there is still one more enemy to face before they can reunite.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Rick Riordan. I own nothing.**

Binding Love

Chapter 1

Leo's POV

"I'll come back for you Calypso. I swear it on the River Styx."

Leo sighed. He knew making oaths was dangerous what with him being one of the seven demigods of the Prophecy of Seven. Well, stuff the prophecy. Calypso's story was so much like his that he felt he couldn't just leave her. He had to do something about it. She was an outsider, just like him. The gods had cursed her to live alone on Ogygia because her father was the Titan Atlas. Leo had been shoved aside by his relatives after his mother had died. His Aunt Rosa had called him a diablo and thrown him out. He had never belonged in any of the foster homes he had been sent to. That was why he had run away six times and finally gotten sent to Wilderness School. Even Jason and Piper had shunned him slightly. They hadn't meant to and Leo didn't hold a grudge against them. But as they got closer, Leo began to get pushed further and further away. When he had found out Jason's very existence at Wilderness School was a trick of The Mist, Leo had had some hope. Yet, the whole thing had happened again and this time it was for real. He sighed again. He knew he should just smile and stay positive. He had learnt from experience that it was the only way to hide his pain.

Calypso's POV

Calypso watched the boat retreat into the distance. Leo's last words had floated across the water to her. They had not reassured her about leaving her island one day. It had worried her. No man ever found Ogygia twice no matter what they promised. An oath on the River Styx was binding. Did making that promise mean that he loved her? Did she love him? Impossible. But that boat only arrived for people she… No. She couldn't love that scrawny boy. Could she? She turned back to the island. It seemed quieter without the sound of the pair of them working together, without Leo's endless stream of chatter. She felt like she had nothing to do. She tried sweeping her cave even though her invisible servants always did that. No good. She tried to repair her table but it just wasn't the same without Leo beside her. Eventually she just sat down and let her thoughts run free.

Leo's POV

Leo barely noticed when the raft docked. He had sent an Iris message to his friends telling them where to meet him. They had seemed relieved to see him alive but Leo didn't care. All he worried about was Calypso. He found his way to a small café and sat down at a table. He ordered the first drink he saw on the menu which was coffee. Leo didn't even like coffee because it made him even more ADHD than he usually was. He drank it anyway, just for something to do. He was in such a daydream, he didn't notice when the Argo II arrived. His friends gave him many strange looks and he realized that he mustn't seem like himself. He forced a smile and tried to crack a few jokes. Most of them just rolled their eyes but Jason kept staring as if Leo was a puzzle he needed to figure out. Leo felt himself grow hot and hurriedly checked to see if he was on fire. Man, it was embarrassing when that happened. Fortunately, he wasn't aflame and everyone began discussing tactics to rescue Percy and Annabeth. Leo listened but his thoughts were elsewhere.

Calypso's POV

Calypso thought of the day Leo had crashed into her life. Literally. He had crashed into her dining table and broken it. She has hated him at first. She had thought the gods had been playing a trick on her. They usually sent her handsome boys. Boys she couldn't help falling in love with. And then they sent her this… this small, scrawny Santa's elf. He was nothing like the others. Nothing like… Percy Jackson. Percy Jackson had promised her he would make the gods set her free. Yet here she was. She tried not to hold a grudge. Most heroes promised things like that and she never saw any of them again. Leo had promised the exact same thing. But she felt he was different. He had given her hope, something that no one had ever given her before. And she had felt a bond forming between the two of them. It was a kind of unity that she had never felt with any other. He was just like her. An outcast, or a seventh wheel as he called it. He had to stand by and watch as others grew closer together. She had nothing but her invisible servants and the heroes who could never stay. What if he did come back? Neither of them would have to live like that anymore. Surely, if Leo returned, her curse would be broken and she would be free to leave. But it was impossible. No hero had ever found their way back, no matter what they felt for each other. It was no good raising her hopes. She needed to face facts. Leo was never coming back. But, no matter how hard she tries, she couldn't banish the feeling that he was special and that he would be the last hero the visit Ogygia.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Leo's POV

Leo couldn't concentrate on anything. On the outside he tried to seem like regular old Leo, always teasing other people and messing with his Archimedes sphere. But, inside, he knew his heart wasn't in it. He tried to distract himself by talking to Festus or trying the figure out the Athena Parthenos. Nothing worked. He thought about her every second he had. He realized that it was probably the first time he had understood a person more than a machine. But he couldn't tell anyone. They'd laugh at him and say the quest was more important than some girl stuck on an island nobody could find. Which it was. It wasn't that Leo didn't care about the quest. Of course he wanted to rescue Percy and Annabeth and send Dirt Face right back to sleep. Still… he couldn't help feeling that his promise to Calypso fit in with the prophecy. Whatever the case, Leo had to be better at hiding his feelings from the others.

Was this what di Angelo felt all of the time? That guy has always creeped Leo out, being the son of Hades and all, but Leo started to feel that maybe he had been a bit hard on him. It wasn't his fault that his dad was the super powerful, super creepy ruler of the Underworld. There was something about him. Leo just couldn't put his finger on it. Never mind. He didn't have time to think about a creepy fourteen year old. There was Festus to fix, monsters to kill. And, no matter how hard he tried, he knew his thoughts would inevitably turn back to Calypso.

Calypso's POV

Calypso cursed herself as she worked in the garden. She had let herself neglect her plants all because of some stupid boy. Being magical, the flowers hadn't wilted too much but they were looking a bit sickly. She dug furiously, muttering curses to herself, Percy Jackson, Leo, the gods and anyone else who had given her nothing but false hope and misery. Finally, after a couple of hours, she sat back. Her hands and clothes were covered in mud and grime. That reminded her of another time, not so long ago…

"What can I do now, while my hands are dirty?"

Leo had looked at her with doubt. He told her a job he needed doing but then said that it was specialized. She had proven him wrong. From then on, they had bonded. Leo often joked about starting 'Leo and Calypso's Garage' together. She had played along but she knew, she thought he knew, that she was never leaving Ogygia. Though, looking back on it now, Calypso thought Leo had been serious. She had been a fool to let him carry on. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind. They had worked in silence to build the console. But they didn't need to talk. It took two days. After they had finished, Leo had planned to build a raft. He said he needed another week. Calypso's heart had soared at that news. Then it had plummeted at the sight of another boat...

Leo's POV

Leo stood on the prow of the Argo II, absentmindedly stroking Festus. He thought about what Piper had said about the Prophecy of Seven before he crashed  
>on Ogygia. She thought 'To storm or fire the world must fall' meant either Jason or Leo defeating Gaia. At that news, Leo had been elated. If he defeated Gaia, he might be heralded as a hero. He might be taken seriously for once. He might be thought of as more than a jester, a mechanic, a seriously annoying demigod. Sure, he was all of these things and proud of it too, but he wanted his chance to shine. All of this had been going through his mind when Piper dropped a bombshell. The line said storm OR fire. She thought that one would defeat Gaia and the other would die. They could always hope she had been wrong but Leo had a horrible feeling she had hit the nail on the head. If she was right, the line 'An oath to keep with a final breath' might link in with that. Leo had made an oath to Calypso. And now Piper had foretold that Jason or Leo would die. In that moment, Leo understood the reality of what he was facing. Someone wouldn't come back from this quest alive. And that someone would be him.<p>

Calypso's POV

Calypso sat down cross legged in her favourite spot: the shoreline next to her dining table. Every day for two weeks she had been coming here. She didn't do anything, just sat and watched the waves and occasionally thought about things. It suddenly occurred to her that she had no idea why she favoured this spot. She thought on this for a moment and then it hit her. This was where she had first met Leo. Gods, she had to get that boy out of her mind. She thought about him every second of the day and now she was using his crash site to meditate? What was wrong with her? She hadn't done this with the other, more handsome heroes. So why would she fall head over heels for some scrawny, dirty, annoying son of Hephaestus? It just didn't make any sense. She was a daughter of Atlas, not some silly daughter of Aphrodite. Although, she reflected, if Aphrodite was her mum, she wouldn't even be in this position. And speaking of that infernal love goddess, Calypso betted this was all her doing.

She so loved putting twists and turns in a relationship. Well, relationships couldn't get much more twisty than Calypso's. She was doomed to fall in love with any boy that crossed her path and now she was obsessing over some son of Hephaestus. The gods up on Olympus must be having a right laugh at her. She wouldn't please them any further. She dredged up every single memory of Leo and tried to force them to the back of her mind. Instead, they insisted on pushing to the front. They became just as annoying as the boy they were about. After a good five minutes of trying, she gave up. Muttering frustrated curses to every single god she could think of, she stomped off back to her cave. Thunder boomed distantly which at least meant that the god had heard her. Maybe they would let her see him again now they knew just how hard she had fallen for him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all the characters. I own nothing.**

Chapter 3

Leo's POV

Leo sat on the grassy bank at Epirus. He looked around at their group. Percy and Annabeth, recently back from Tartarus looked pale and thin but glad to be back in the open air and sunshine. Frank had his arm around Hazel. His arm was bloody underneath the bandage but he had just been promoted to Praetor so he also looked proud. Hazel was tired and pale. She had just defeated an evil sorceress and her evil giant friend plus helped to shadow travel them all out so Leo guessed she had reason to be. Oddly, Jason looked relieved as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Piper was, well, just being Piper really. Of course she was tired and battle weary but she was talking and laughing and looking at Jason with adoration. Man, it would make Leo's life if Calypso looked at him that way just once… _No, _Leo thought, _stop it. You have other problems now like, I don't know, stopping Gaia from rising. It doesn't help if you're thinking about that girl all the time._ Leo took a deep breath and looked at the rest. Reyna was sitting and glancing around at everyone uneasily. Leo tried to avoid her eyes because she was looking so fierce. Of course, it didn't help that Leo had half destroyed her camp and sparked a war between Greek and Roman demigods but still… Even if she hadn't got her armour (it was being cleaned) and she was tired from flying solo over the Ancient Lands, Reyna wasn't a good enemy to make. Then there was Nico. He sat awkwardly apart from the rest of the group, nibbling on some pomegranate seeds. The kid was so skinny, Leo wondered that he didn't disappear into his clothes. He also practically lived up in the mast because he claimed he had good eyesight. That may be so but Leo thought there was more to it. Maybe he just didn't like people. He didn't seem to be very good with them. Leo could relate. Mind you, Nico didn't seem to be good with anything apart from ghosts. At least Leo could work with machines. In Leo's opinion, machines were better because they could be broken but fixed again. But he was biased.

Everyone looked paler than normal, except for Nico because he was naturally pale, and Leo could guarantee he looked just as bad. Or worse. At least all the others had someone to lean on. Percy had Annabeth, Jason had Piper, Frank had Hazel and even Coach Hedge – who was currently watching violent films in his cabin – had his cloud nymph girlfriend Mellie. Nico and Reyna were both loner but they preferred it that way. Leo had felt like he had something but then it had been snatched away in the blink of an eye. Nemesis' voice echoed in his mind:

'You will always be the seventh wheel'

He sighed. The others were saying something that probably didn't include Leo but he supposed he should listen just in case something mechanical came up. After all, that was who he was. The Machine Man… Repair Boy… Seventh Wheel…

Calypso's POV

The sea around Ogygia had been disturbed these past few days. It just didn't make sense. For the last two millennia the sea around her little island has been calm. Then she remembered. While Leo had been with her, her grandmother – Gaia – had offered her an ultimatum. Hand over Leo to help Gaia to rise or don't and Ogygia would be destroyed. She had banished Gaia without giving her Leo. Now she was seriously hoping Leo and his friends could defeat Gaia otherwise she would come good on her promise. Ogygia – and Calypso with it – would be destroyed. Suddenly a voice spoke behind her.

'Ah, my poor Calypso. Alone on your precious little island still, I see.'

Calypso spun around. The swirling face of Gaia had appeared behind her. Her eyes were closed but Calypso could sense that something was different. Gaia was closer to waking than ever before.

'Grandmother, I thought I said you weren't welcome here.'

'You made a rash decision that day. I will still get the blood of Olympus and awake from my long slumber. And what will you gain? You and your pathetic island will be gone. At least if you had given me the son of Hephaestus you would have been spared. I think that one will make the perfect sacrifice. No one to love except for a lonely girl he will never see again. No all I need if a female. I wait only for the blood of Olympus and I sense I will not have long to wait.'

'You will not come here again Grandmother. You disrupt the peace'

Gaia laughed.

'Oh, my dear, you don't understand. The so called peace of your island is already shattered. Why, you yourself are never at peace. Why bother resisting me? And as for visiting Ogygia again, I will not need to. Once I have fully risen, Ogygia will be destroyed. It will be as if it never existed.'

Calypso's next words were full of anger and fear. Fear for her island but mostly fear for Leo.

'Leave now Grandmother. You will never be welcome on Ogygia again.'

With one final laugh, Gaia disappeared. Calypso took a shaky breath. Gaia's threats were not empty and she had no doubt that Leo would be one of the sacrifices. IF Gaia rose. Calypso certainly hoped she didn't otherwise… well, she didn't want to think about the otherwise.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all the characters. I own nothing.**

Chapter 4

Leo's POV

It was coming. The big battle against Gaia was imminent. The journey towards Greece had been turbulent with constant monster attacks leaving the crew of the Argo II with very little sleep. But here they were at last. Seven demigods against Hades knew how many monsters. Actually they probably did, Leo thought, seeing as they've all come out of Tartarus. The seven weren't completely helpless though. Annabeth was wicked with a dagger and, if all else failed, she could confuse the monsters with her smart talk. Well, she did that enough to Leo in any case. Percy and Jason could summon a freaking storm together and they had others powers Leo could only dream of. For instance, Jason could fly over and kill enemies while out of their reach and Percy could make his own personal hurricane. Frank could turn into animals or go all son of Mars on them and get that weird red glow that made him invincible. Hazel had that amazing horse so she could lop monsters heads off faster than they could stab them. Piper could dual wield celestial bronze daggers or shoot fresh produce using her cornucopia. She could even convince monsters it would be fun to kill their friend next to them rather than the demigods. And Leo could… fire really small fireballs at the monsters or bash their brains out with a hammer. That was presuming he could actually get close enough to do that and also presuming the other monsters didn't think he looked like he'd be fun to kill. Leo groaned and buried his face in his hands. Gods, he would be the laughing stock of demigods for generations. He could just imagine it…

_'__Dad, what happened to Grandpa Jason and Grandma Piper in the war?'  
><em>_'__Well son, your grandpa, grandma and five others called Percy, Annabeth, Frank, Hazel and Leo fought against the Earth Mother Gaia. A great storm arose thanks to your grandpa and Percy. Your grandma, Hazel and Annabeth, Percy, Frank and Jason whirled through the monster ranks until there was nothing left.'  
><em>_'__And what about Leo?'  
><em>_'__Well, according to your grandpa, he ran around in flames, wielding a giant hammer and yelling like a lunatic.'_

__Yep, things were definitely looking up for Leo. A touch at his shoulder brought him back to reality.  
>'Leo? Are you okay, buddy? Now isn't really the time to be freaking out.'<br>Leo looked up. Jason was standing over him, eyes full of concern. All the others were looking at him expectantly too. He grinned at them.  
>'Yeah. Just, you know, thinking.'<br>Piper laughed.

'Leo, if there's anything you don't do, it's thinking.'  
>Leo tried to put on his best wounded expression. 'Hey…'<br>Hazel inhaled sharply.  
>'Guys, I hate to break up the good natured banter here but, look.'<br>Leo looked where she was pointing. His heart plummeted. The monster army was coming. It was time.

Calypso's POV

Something was happening. Calypso was sure of it. The seas had turned grey and churned wildly. The skies had turned cloudy and thunder rumbled. Even Ogygia would not be spared from this war. Calypso turned back to her flowerbed. Soon, it would not be safe to be outside. She performed some long lasting magic on her plants and hurried inside her cave. Her thoughts were with Leo. She was frightened for him. She knew he was out there, facing whatever monsters Gaia had waiting for him. He had told her all about his quest during his short stay with her. And Gaia's appearance hadn't helped to ease her anxiety. Suddenly, her fear intensified. What if Leo died on the quest? Would Hades punish him for not fulfilling his oath? Or would he reward him for dying a hero's death. Calypso was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she got the shock of her life when she walked into her bedroom. Standing in the middle of the room was a god. He had a leg brace and rough, calloused skin. His hair and beard was tangled.

'Hephaestus.' Calypso was still in shock.

'Hello. I thought I might pay you a visit, given how taken you are with my son.'

Calypso felt her cheeks redden.

'But I thought you were incapacitated with your Greek and Roman forms in conflict.'

'Ah. Yes. Well, you see, our children form our different forms have resolved their problems. We are still a little bit conflicted what with having our two aspects mixed but your thoughts about Leo were so strong you invoked my presence.'

'Why me? You know Leo is at war. Why couldn't you use my thoughts to appear to him and help him? Why?'

'I'm sorry Calypso. Gods cannot interfere directly in the affairs of mortals. Surely you know this. It hurts do have to stand by but if there is anything we have learnt over the eons, it is to know when to let go. It also hurts when they die in our names but we must ensure they died for a reason.'

'What are you…? No. No. No no no. Leo will not die. He can't. He won't. You won't let him. See his future. Tell me if it's true.'

'I can't. The future is clouded. You above all people should know this. And even if I could, I wouldn't want to. Do you know how hard it would be to not only have to stand by and watch but know if he's going to die? I care for him but I wouldn't be able to live with the pain of knowing just what would happen before it happens.'

Calypso sighed. But she supposed she had known that all along. Hephaestus nodded as if she'd told him some amazing truth. He then clapped a hand to his forehead and his form flickered briefly.

'My time is up. Don't worry. I sense your imprisonment will soon draw to a close. You will be free.'

With that, Hephaestus erupted in a column of flames and disappeared. Calypso stumbled to her bed and sat down heavily.

'You can't leave me Leo.' She whispered this to no one in particular. 'You promised me. You promised.'


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all the characters. I own nothing.**

Chapter 5

Leo's POV  
>They were surrounded. The seven demigods of the Prophecy of Seven stood back to back. Forming a ring around them were monsters, hundreds of them. The battle had gone badly. Leo had seen Jason and Percy summon a storm and then they had both slashed through enemy ranks. Piper's charmspeak and her dagger had proved a deadly combination. Hazel and Arion zipped around so fast, they were a blur. Frank's shape shifting had been more than useful. And Leo had lobbed a ton of fireballs and assorted tools that occasionally found their mark and disintegrated a monster. But demigods tire and monsters don't. Even Arion stopped going so fast. Hazel hadn't had time to feed him gold so she dismounted. Soon after that, they had been overwhelmed. Now they stood in a circle, holding weapons with tired arms. The monsters laughed at them and taunted them.<p>

'Ah, my little demigods. Who will have the pleasure of being my sacrifices?' Gaia appeared right in front of them. She was on the edge of consciousness. 'For the girl I think… Annabeth my dear. You will do nicely. I…'  
>'No!' Leo wasn't sure why he had done that but he may as well finish what he started. 'You won't take any of us Dirt Face. We'll fight you and send you straight back to sleep.'<br>'Oh, Leo Valdez.' Leo was surprised to hear that Gaia's voice almost sounded sorrowful. 'You would have made the perfect sacrifice. No one would miss you except a girl lost on an island. Your friends would be dead and your father would be bowed down at my feet. But, son of Hephaestus, no one, least of all you, will stop my rising. If you are so willing to die for your friends I am afraid I have no choice but to grant your wish.'  
>The earth and rocks rose up to meet Leo. He was lifted into the air until he was about 20 feet up. He was dimly aware of his friends screaming his name but Leo was more focused on how to get out of his current predicament.<br>'Goodbye, Leo Valdez.'  
>Leo flew backwards into space. As he began to fall, he was struck by some of Jason's lightning. <em>Seriously, <em>he thought before the pain made him black out, _even my luck can't be this bad._

Calypso's POV  
>Calypso screamed. After Hephaestus had visited, her curiosity had run away with her. She hadn't been able to stand it any longer and had used some magic to see the present. She had been just in time to see Leo defend Annabeth. Her heart had sank at that. Maybe Leo did have a girl to care for him. But, no, he had made it quite clear that he was alone in the world. In the same instant, Calypso realized this must be the same Annabeth Percy Jackson had left her for. Hatred had quickly filled Calypso but just as rapidly drained away when she heard Gaia talking to Leo. When she saw what Gaia did, it had been the last straw. She had screamed at the top of her voice and slashed hand through the water holding the vision. In the distance she heard crash. A clap of thunder? No, it was one of her servants dropping a plate. Calypso would deal with that problem later. She had other things to do right now. She thought fast. Hephaestus had said something about her curse being broken. Well, why not now? She leaped into the water but was quickly repelled by some invisible force. That annoyed her. If her curse had broken, she would have been able to use magic to carry her to Leo. So what was she going to do? Just sit around and think about what might have been and what should have been? Suddenly a thought occurred to her. When she was cursed, someone had predicted this:<p>

'When a hero who truly holds your heart does a brave deed in your name, you will be freed.'  
>That hero must be Leo. What would he do? She sighed in frustration and stomped inside her cave. She should sort out the mess. Maybe she would do some weaving. Anything to take her mind off Leo and his battle.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all the characters. I own nothing.**

Chapter 6

Leo's POV  
>In the blackness of Leo's mind, his mother came to him.<br>'Mom?' Leo was surprised by how croaky his voice was but… hang on. If Leo's mom was here and she was dead then… was Leo dead too? He couldn't be. He still had so much to do. He had to save his friends. He had to get back to Calypso. He looked at his mom again. She smiled at him. 'Am… am I dead?' The words left a sour taste in Leo's mouth, as if his tongue didn't agree with letting the words out. She smiled again.  
>'No mijo. You will go back to your friends and save them from a terrible fate.'<br>'A terrible fate. Do you mean they're going to die? And on the subject of dying, how am I not dead? Gaia said…'  
>Leo's mother held up a hand for silence.<br>'I am proud of you Leo. I'm sure your father is too. My time here is short. Honour your promise. Save your friends. Be brave, mijo.'  
>With one final smile, Esperanza Valdez faded away.<br>'No! You didn't even answer my question. Come back!'  
>Leo cried for a while but something was nagging at the back of his mind. And, no, it wasn't how can you cry in a dream. It finally came to him. His mom had told him something important even if she hadn't spoken it. He had to make sure she hadn't died in vain. He had to make sure nobody else died pointlessly. Leo summoned all of his willpower and forced himself to wake up.<p>

He opened his eyes to hordes of monsters. His friends were held at sword point and, worst of all, Percy and Annabeth were kneeling in front of Gaia. The two sacrifices. Leo got up quietly and picked up a sword from a fallen monster. He had to watch where he trod; stealth had never been Leo's strong point. As soon as he got within striking distance, he raised his sword and attacked. The monsters were unprepared for this and Leo's friends took the opportunity to escape. They joined in with the attack. An empousa knocked Leo's sword out of his hand but he had his fire. So great was his anger that he merely had to point at a monster and a beam of concentrated fire incinerated said monster. All was going well until one of the final monster left decided to have one last go at killed Leo. It managed to sink its talons into his stomach before he killed it. The pain was so bad, Leo immediately fell to his knees. His friends dispatched the remaining monsters and ran over to him. But they had one enemy left to face.  
>'Well done, little demigods. Your fight was brave but futile. For that bravery I will allow five of you to live but, alas, I still need two with the blood of Olympus to allow me to wake. And I will wake. You cannot stop me.'<br>'Yes, we can.' One by one, the heroes of Olympus unleashed their power. Percy flooded the lands and Jason fried it, effectively electrocuting Gaia. Annabeth tossed her dagger into Gaia's face. Hazel deprived the ground of its riches. Frank tore up the earth with his lion claws. Leo summoned the biggest fire bolt he could muster and sent it straight at Gaia. Piper's command was the last straw.  
>'Go to sleep.' Her charmspeak made Leo want to drop everything and sleep but he fought it off. With one final wail of rage and despair, Gaia sunk back into the earth. Leo staggered. While they had been fighting Gaia, Leo had forgotten about his wound as if his dad was giving him extra strength. Now the pain had returned in full force. He collapsed to the ground. His friends ran over.<br>'Oh gods, Leo.' Piper was staring at him with horror. Percy shouted for someone to get some ambrosia but Leo stopped him.  
>'No. No healing. One more thing. Go out to sea. There'll be an island. I need to go there. I promised.'<br>'An oath to keep with a final breath.' Hazel's voice sounded odd, like she had something stuck in her throat. They took him back to the Argo II. Leo didn't remember much of the journey. His head was filled with pain and thought of Calypso. Calypso. Leo smiled. He would see her again, even if it was for the last time.

Calypso's POV  
>Calypso jolted awake when she heard the sound of a boat coming into land. She ran outside and saw a huge Greek trireme with a bronze dragon figurehead. It was Leo's ship. Joy filled her but it quickly evaporated when she saw who was coming across the sand. A blonde haired kid was carrying a skinny boy with wiry, black hair. Leo. She ran to meet them. The blonde boy set Leo down and stepped back a couple of paces. Calypso dropped to her knees.<br>'Leo.'  
>'Calypso.' He smiled at her, that cheeky, mischievous smile she had grown to love. 'Told you I'd come back.'<br>Calypso smiled and then noticed his wound. His shirt was stained bright red and he was deathly pale.  
>'What happened? I can heal you. Let me get some herbs.' She started to get up but Leo grasped her wrist and stopped her.<br>'No. There's no healing. I…'  
>She stopped him with a kiss. When she pulled back, she saw he was smiling faintly.<br>'Never thought I'd get to do that again.' He laughed but then coughed. Blood came out of his mouth.  
>'Oh no you don't Leo Valdez. You stay with me. You have to stay with me. Please.'<br>'Always.'  
>And, with that, Calypso watched as Leo Valdez, the boy who had held her heart for so long, died in her arms. She could hear sobbing from the Argo II but none of that mattered. Leo had been her world and now it was crashing down around her. Gaia had done something far worse than destroy her island. She had destroyed her world.<br>'No! Come back. You have to come back. Come back!' Calypso cried over his body. She could have healed him. She could heal wounds like Leo had had but she couldn't bring back the dead. A touch at her shoulder brought her back to reality. She looked up. It was the blonde kid. His eyes were shining with tears.  
>'I… I'm sorry. I'm sorry we couldn't do anything. But he refused to be healed. His last act was to come and see you. We… we have to go now. We should let the people at camp know they are safe.'<br>'Can't you see? He's dead. Leo's dead.'  
>'I know.' He looked pained as he spoke. 'He died saving us. We can't let him have died in vain. We should take him back to camp and give him a proper funeral. Are you coming?'<br>Calypso nodded. She realized now that her curse must have broken. She went aboard the Argo II. The blonde haired boy was Jason. Then there was his girlfriend Piper, a boy named Frank and his girlfriend Hazel and… oh gods. It was Percy Jackson. He stood with his arm around Annabeth. He raised his hand awkwardly in greeting. She stared at him for a moment then walked away. She watched her island grow smaller in the distance as she began a new chapter of her life.


	7. A Year Later

**Disclaimer: Rick Riordan owns all the characters. I own nothing.**

A Year Later

Piper's POV  
>Losing Leo was hard on all of us. We missed his cheeky grin and sharp comments. Sure, he was annoying but he was also the best friends any of us ever had. When we got back to camp, everyone cheered. We introduced Frank and Hazel to the campers but everyone grew quiet when Calypso walked out. She was carrying Leo's body on a stretcher along with Jason. We introduced her and announced we needed a shroud for a son of Hephaestus, We burned him that night. His shroud was cleverly designed so that it looked like it was actually on fire, with the symbol of Hephaestus in the middle. The next day, Calypso was given a note from Jake Mason, the senior counsellor for the Hephaestus cabin. He said they were clearing out Leo's bunk and they found an envelope addressed to her. She showed it to me afterwards. It read:<p>

_Calypso,  
>If you're reading this, I'm probably dead. I'm sorry I had to leave you but we needed to defeat Gaia. Tell the others I'm sorry. I hope Dirt Face is safely sleeping now. I'm sorry about our shop. Hopefully I saw you before I died. I'll remember you. Always.<br>From the Super-Sized McShizzle  
>Leo Valdez, Bad Boy Supreme <em>

The last year's been hard for all of us, most of all Calypso. None of us have stopped grieving yet and I don't think we ever truly will. But, although Leo is dead, he still lives on in our hearts. Anyway, I'm sure we'll see him in Elysium someday. Calypso does odd jobs around camp but she mainly helps the satyrs and the Demeter cabin with the plants. Frank and Hazel visit from time to time. Whenever they do come, Frank stays in the Ares cabin where he seems to fit in quite well despite his rather sunny nature and Hazel joins Nico in the Hades cabin. I think it's good for him to have some company every once in a while. Jason decided to stay with us here at Camp Half-Blood. Reyna understands his decision. I think she knew ever since we camp to New Rome all that time ago. We all settled back into normal camp life, although it seems a bit dull without Leo's endless stream of bad jokes and his crazy grin. Just after we got back I kept looking around for him. I kept thinking he would just pop out of Bunker 9 all covered in grease stains and oil splashes. None of us are going on any more quests now. They'd just give us horrible memories and remind us just what quests can cost you. Anyway, we promised Leo we'd live for him and that is just what we intend to do.


End file.
